by A. K. DuBoff
“Of course it does,” Kaiden said. “That’s a dead planet now.”
“No, we talked about this before,” Maris insisted. “We’re supposed to be immune to the Darkness, right? We can go there.”
I stood in silence, my gaze flitting between my companions and the commander. “What happens to a world when it’s consumed?” I asked tentatively.
“We don’t know,” Colren admitted. “When we first encountered the Darkness, we sent in teams to investigate and they didn’t come back.”
I eyed him. “You said we’re different—that we should have an immunity. How do you know that?”
The commander shook his head. “That isn’t important.”
“I don’t know, seems pretty relevant to me.” Kaiden crossed his arms.
“Commander, if you would like our continued cooperation, being forthcoming with us will get you the best results,” Toran stated. Despite the soft heart I knew he had on the inside, I had to admit that any firm statement from Toran carried additional weight due to the intimidation factor of his stature.
Colren evaluated us. “All right, come on.” He led us to the private conference room, and we stood around the table. “Remember when I told you that the Darkness appeared three months ago? Well, you weren’t the first people we extracted.”
That wasn’t the least bit reassuring. “Who were the others?” I asked.
“We first had the bioprinter ready for the extraction procedure a month ago,” he explained. “The details about how it functioned were vague in the ancient records we were referencing, but the technical team was able to piece enough of it together to give it a shot. The first results were… not viable.”
My stomach turned over again. “How do you mean?”
He shifted in his seat. “The consciousness never properly knitted with the physical form. That’s why we ended up developing the initiation procedure you all experienced.”
“Don’t need the grisly details, but okay, they died,” Kaiden said. “Were you able to make it work with others before us?”
“We did. And that’s how we discovered the secondary feature of Darkness exposure resulting in a sort of tolerance for future encounters,” the commander continued. “The team—there were three of them—were on a Hegemony world that served as a research post; in fact, it was where the bioprinter was first developed and tested. Due to the sensitive nature of the activities, the data was saved on local servers rather than backed up through the subspace relays to the Hegemony’s central data repository. When the Darkness came to the world, the team volunteered to retrieve it. We sent them in with half a dozen armed guards.
“The team was composed of two Spirit casters and a Protector. When the Darkness arrived at the research site, the Protector stayed behind to finish the data upload to this ship. The two Spirit casters proceeded to the extraction site, but they were overrun by the Darkness mid-travel. The guards accompanying them were all frozen, but the two casters were able to make it to a shuttle to escape.”
He swallowed. “I suppose it would have been more accurate to say that we believe someone with abilities such as yourselves can withstand temporary exposure. We don’t know how long they could have lasted; we never wanted to risk sending them back in.”
I folded my hands on the desktop. “Okay, if they made it out of that encounter, then where are they?”
“They crashed while trying to land on Crystallis,” Colren revealed.
“Hold on, you’d tried to send people down there before us?” Kaiden glared at him.
The commander backed up a little. “We attributed the crash to a legend that only a team representing all of the disciplines could land on the world. So, we set about waiting for you.”
“This is insane,” I muttered.
Kaiden shook his head slowly. “You lied to us.”
“I conveyed what was useful in the moment,” Colren corrected. “Based on this reaction, I should have kept those details to myself.”
“You use people and move on when they’re no longer helpful. That’s the kind of behavior I’ve always actively fought against.” Kaiden scoffed.
The commander threw up his hands. “What else should we do? Our conventional weapons are useless, our trained soldiers freeze into columns of black soot when they come in contact with the Darkness, and we lost our last two best hopes by what we now realize was just a freak weather-related shuttle crash. We don’t have a lot of options here. We need to stop this, and as far as I know, you’re the only people who can get close enough to give us any clue what we’re dealing with.
“I apologize for keeping the details from you, but it didn’t seem like divulging that information would sway you in the direction of helping. I’m only saying anything now because I have nowhere else to turn. We know how important this world was for the mission at hand. I don’t know what to suggest.”
I was struck by the commander’s raw emotion. I’d always thought of military types as being stoic no matter what, but I was reminded in that moment that even the most serious of officers were still people. And we weren’t trained soldiers. This was an emotional appeal to fellow citizens. Our worlds and our very existence was being threatened, so we needed to join forces to be more than our singular selves. We had to rise to the occasion and become the heroes our people needed.
“If there’s a chance we can still retrieve the artifact, then I’ll take the risk and go down there,” I said.
“Elle,” Kaiden started.
“No, I mean it,” I shot back. “We didn’t ask to be placed in this position, but we’re the only ones standing between the Darkness and the total annihilation of everything we love. If there’s even a chance of saving my family, I’ll risk getting turned into a column of soot, or whatever it is that happens when touched by the Darkness.”
My new friends sat in stunned silence.
Surprisingly, Maris was the first to speak. “Elle is right. We’re already invested this much. We need to do everything we can to see this through.”
“I will gladly give my life to this mission, if it comes to it,” Toran agreed. “However, I trust whatever technology—or magic—enabled us to escape the Darkness in the first place. I believe we will be able to travel to that world and not be harmed. Well, at least not by the Darkness directly.”
“I’m in, too, of course,” Kaiden said. “I won’t turn my back on that commitment.” He cast another glare in Colren’s direction. “But in the future, I hope for continued transparency. We need to work together. Secrets won’t help get the job done.”
The commander nodded. “And you’ll have it. I assure you, you now have all of the information we do.”
I swallowed. “Okay, so, the original team was able to escape a planet overrun by the Darkness on a shuttle. Does that mean that it doesn’t alter manufactured materials?”
Colren shook his head. “Yes and no. Organic matter is the most susceptible, as far as we know, but everything eventually succumbs. In terms of going down to the planet, my suggestion would be for the shuttle to drop you off, and we’ll send it to retrieve you once you have the artifact.”
“What about our comms?” I asked. “Those are inside us, but not exactly a part of us.”
“An excellent question to which I don’t have an answer. I would hope that it being completely encased in your skin that they would be protected from the Darkness’ effects. In the event the electronics become corrupted, we can arrange a rendezvous place and time,” the commander stated.
“Right, about that.” Toran folded his huge hands on the table. “The device we’ve been using to locate the artifacts didn’t pick up a signal because of the Darkness. We have no idea where to go.”
“If the artifact is intact, it will likely still emit a signal,” Colren replied. “Perhaps you can adapt the device to interface with the shuttle’s sensor suite and do a high-altitude sweep of the planet.”
“That could take hours. At the r
ate the Darkness advances, we may not have that long,” Kaiden objected.
The commander shook his head. “I have no other solution to offer you.”
“Then let’s stop talking and start doing.” I stood up. “Even our clothes and equipment might not stand up in that environment. We’ll need to move quickly.”
“Is it, like, contagious?” Maris asked. “Can we track it back to the ship?”
“As far as we know, no,” Colren replied. “However, we’ll follow a full decontamination protocol for your return, and the shuttle will drop you off without touching down on the surface. The atmosphere is clearly tainted, as well, but it seems to spread much more quickly on the ground.”
“Contact between solid matter, versus the more spread out structure in air,” Kaiden hypothesized.
“As reasonable an explanation as any. I’m sure scientists will be seeking answers for years to come.” The commander sighed. “But, for now, the Master Archive remains the priority.”
I nodded. “We’re on it.”
“Safe travels, and good luck.”
After Toran grabbed his search device and extra tools, we hurried down to the hangar to get our laundered equipment from Tami. While the preflight check was underway, Toran began his modifications to the device so it could interface with the shuttle. Since he was busy, I ran to the equipment room on his behalf to get him a new custom shipsuit from his saved profile, which he graciously accepted. Once we were dressed, the other preparations completed within minutes of each other, and Tami saw us off with well wishes.
Speeding toward the dark world was a decidedly unnerving experience. Every part of me screamed that it was wrong to head toward something which was so obviously tainted.
Next to me, Kaiden’s face was drawn with concern. He still sat in the pilot’s chair, though the auto-pilot was solely responsible for this voyage.
I tried to set aside my own worries and focused on the positives. After all, there was still a chance that we could get the final artifact. A slim chance, but some hope remained. Too much was riding on it for me to give in to doubts. The certainty that there would be a secure backup of my world was the only thing keeping me moving forward. If I didn’t have that… Well, I didn’t know what I’d do. But the fight wouldn’t be there. It just wouldn’t be the same if I was only trying to save myself.
The initial descent into the atmosphere was bumpier than usual. It would seem that whatever was causing the Darkness was somehow impacting the air currents and the shuttle’s inertial compensators. That made the dark tendrils snaking through the sky even more ominous.
I shuddered. Everything about it was creepy. I couldn’t wait to be back on a planet far away from the Darkness’ influence.
The shuttle followed a preset flight path designed to optimize our aerial search for a signal using the modified device. Maris handed over her pendant this time, and Toran kept a watch on the readings to double-check the automated search software’s findings. At an elevation of thirty kilometers, the shuttle leveled out and began its search pattern above the umber landscape.
“I know what you’re thinking, and I hope we don’t have to go around the entire planet,” Toran stated to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Not that you have much control over the situation,” Kaiden replied.
“Actually,” Toran countered, “the previous sites were all within a several degree spread to the north of the equator. If that pattern holds, we will have a much smaller search area to cover.”
“Here’s hoping.” I settled deeper into my seat.
Half an hour passed in relative silence.
I propped my feet up on the front console and would have dozed off if it wasn’t for the occasional jolt from a shifting air current.
At last, Toran came to attention. “I think I might have something.” He used his console to indicate a point on the holographic map overlaid on the front viewport. A red point was highlighted approximately eighty kilometers from our present location. According to the topographical map, it was on top of a steep hill, which offered no easy drop-off point, even without landing—especially due to the wind gusts.
“Let’s check it out from the air,” Kaiden said. “We don’t want to commit to the wrong site.” He programmed the destination into the autopilot.
The moment the destination came into view, any doubts about it being the correct location vanished. Whereas the other sites on past planets had been a crystal situated in a predominantly natural landscape, this crystal sat atop an eight-story tower at the summit of a steep hill covered in dark orange grass.
“How in the…” Words escaped me.
“I have no idea,” Kaiden murmured. “But look at these wind readings—there’s no way we can set down at the summit.”
I reviewed the scan data he was pointing to. Gusts of wind as great as eighty kilometers per hour weren’t insurmountable, but between the risks of smashing into the tower, touching the ground, and sending us accidentally rolling down the entire length of the hill, it was in our best interest to find an alternative.
“How about we have the shuttle drop us off at the base and we can hike up?” I suggested.
“Except that might be a problem.” Maris pointed down to the left.
While the hill face was still untouched by the Darkness, one of the sinister tendrils was snaking its way toward the slope from the west. I hadn’t been watching it for long enough to get a sense of the time to interception, but my gut told me we didn’t have long.
“We’ll figure it out. Let’s go.” I unstrapped from my seat and steadied myself against the wall using my hands as the shuttle rocked in the wind.
In the common room, I removed the mess kit and bedroll from my pack to lighten it but was sure to leave in the rope and flashlight knowing that we had a tower to negotiate. The side ramp didn’t make for a reliable midair egress, so I headed to the airlock at the rear of the craft. I opened the interior door and waited for my companions.
They followed my model of removing the items likely to be unnecessary for this mission and then put on their packs.
I kept watch out the side viewport and saw that the shuttle was hovering at a holding elevation, awaiting our final instruction to descend for a quick drop-off.
“Ready?” Kaiden asked with a smile as he joined me in the airlock.
“As I’ll ever be.” I patted my sword hilt. “I have this.”
“Assuming it doesn’t disintegrate in your hands.”
I frowned. “Wait, what about the artifacts?”
Kaiden hesitated. “I’d really hope that whatever gives us special immunity would apply to them, too.”
“But we’re organic and were altered by a brush with the Darkness. That has nothing to do with them.”
“Yeah, but they were encased in crystal and then floated to the ground. Magic is different. I don’t have any logical reason I can point to, but my gut tells me that it’s not an issue.”
I nodded. “Considering that I became a blade master overnight, I can’t argue with the power of unexplainable knowledge and hunches.”
“So, my circlet stays?” Kaiden asked.
I smirked. “Oh, I get it. You just don’t want to give up your crown.”
“I have no comment.”
“Uh huh…” I eyed him suspiciously while Toran and Maris joined us.
When we were all in the tiny chamber, I closed the interior door and cycled the exterior hatch. Kaiden tapped on a control console within the chamber to initiate the next phase of the automated flight sequence for our drop-off.
Wind ripped through the chamber the moment the exterior hatch cracked open. I gripped a handhold to steady myself as we descended. The shuttle stopped just under three meters up from the ground, swaying as it struggled to compensate for the winds ripping down the slope.
Keeping a firm grip on the handhold, I leaned out to spot my landing. Scrubby grass covered the vicinity, so at lea
st we wouldn’t be landing on rock.
I took a deep breath. “Here goes!” I leaped.
The ground raced toward me. I bent my knees as I touched down to absorb the impact, then transferred my weight and rolled to a stop. I rose to my feet.
Kaiden and Maris dropped down nearby, following a similar technique. Toran, the last to leap, just took one big jump and landed with both feet like it was nothing.
“How are we going to get back up?” Maris asked.
“I can reach it and haul myself up then help you,” Toran said.
She didn’t look entirely convinced but nodded anyway.
The shuttle quickly gained elevation and then accelerated back into space.
No longer under the influence of the artificial gravity on the shuttle, I felt lighter. “Is the gravity lower here?”
“I felt the shift, too,” Toran said.
“Maybe it’s a product of the Darkness,” Kaiden suggested. “Or could just be the planet.”
“That first notion is deeply unnerving.” I took a step and found that my movement was easier, but there wasn’t any significant extra bounce.
“Okay, we have six hours until the rendezvous, if we can’t get in touch before then,” Kaiden stated. He peered in the direction of the approaching Darkness. “But we don’t have a lot of time for other reasons.”
“No need to tell me twice!” I started jogging up the slope.
The combination of my lighter pack and the reduced gravity made for an easier ascent than I’d anticipated. However, the winds were against us, and I found myself leaning up the hill to maintain a good equilibrium.
From a distance, the slope had seemed relatively featureless aside from some orange foliage, but as we trekked up the open exposure, I spotted the openings to caves mixed in among rock outcroppings.
“Think anything lives here?” I asked.
“Maybe, but potentially not for long.”
My heart sank. “I hadn’t thought about that part. I’ve been thinking about the people on the infected worlds, but all of the wildlife…”
“Don’t go there, Elle,” Kaiden cautioned. “We’re already actively pursuing the best—and maybe only—way we can help them.”
